Time to Rally: Lord of the Flies

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
The tennis community governs itself for the most part, and in the best of times is a fiercely competitive market-driven economy that has created a thriving and highly successful system. These are not the best of times, however. With a void of real leadership and high levels of stress, what we...Read more

Weekly Tennis Wisdom: Picture Perfect

Illustration provided by Salomon Levy
By Salomon Levy
Every ball comes at you in different heights and angles. So, keep the picture frame between your hip and shoulder and get the ball into that frame for a consistent contact point. Some facts to show you the quality of our game: In an hour-and-a-half long match, there are an average of 500 shots that...Read more

Time to Rally: All the Divisions Deserve Recognition

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
Congratulations to our collegiate All-Americans from Long Island, in every division. I'd like to give a special shout out to two of my long-time students, Jackie Bukzin, a sophomore at Amherst College, and Alexa Goetz, a freshman at Emory University, for their selection as Division III All-...Read more

Time to Rally: Group Projects

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
Recently, I’ve been watching many local webinars about the state of the industry, and I was reminded about my days back in elementary and junior high school about what makes a good group project presentation: It should have a coherent central theme. The theme should be introduced. It should be...Read more

The U$ Open

Photo courtesy of USTA/Kathryn Riley
By Steven Kaplan
In evolving announcements that would put a Rube Goldberg machine to shame, the USTA has announced that "our plans to stage the US Open on our scheduled dates at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York with fans remains on-going." Except, we "have been aggressively modeling many...Read more

Weekly Tennis Wisdom: Jump in the Pool

By Salomon Levy
When watching the best tennis players in the world hitting the ball, we see that they do it in so many different styles, yet the ball still travels very fast and with a high level of precision. All these movements have something in common and it is superb biomechanics.In sports, biomechanics refers...Read more

Weekly Tennis Wisdom: The Toss

This week I want to focus on the serve toss, which I think is essential for a solid and consistent serve.
By Salomon Levy
This week I want to focus on the serve toss, which I think is essential for a solid and consistent serve. Let’s start by asking what’s the difference between throwing and tossing a ball? They are both often used interchangeably, but a "toss" is more of a light, careless throw. What we are trying to...Read more

Tennis Through Analogies: Watch The Time

By Salomon Levy
To be able to hit an efficient tennis shot, we should have a continuous and relaxed motion. The tennis serve is not an exception, but it’s a little different than the others, because the serve is the only one we have total control over it. On one side it can be an advantage, but on the other side,...Read more

Time to Rally: Valuable Resources

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
The USTA has stepped up with $50 million to support the tennis industry and it could not have come at a better time as most in the industry are feeling the strain. This is both an act of generosity and a wise investment because it will help the industry thrive once more. A good portion of these...Read more

Time to Rally: Tennis Industry United

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
"In an alliance called “Tennis Industry United” , the entire tennis industry has come together to analyze the most pressing needs and the top concerns of all who are involved in our sport, and then collaborate on programs that can provide the immediate and longer term support that is needed. In...Read more

Time to Rally: Right Amount of Fear

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
Without fear on the tennis court, we would aim for a line and try to hit a winner on just about every shot. With too much fear, we would fail to strike firmly when we have an open court to hit to. So how much fear is the right amount? Just enough to get us to act responsible and conscientious so...Read more

Time to Rally: Fact And Opinion

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
By Steven Kaplan
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in one of his daily addresses earlier this week, talked about the importance of separating FACTS from OPINION. Facts are "calming and empowering", he stressed. As a coach, my opinion on technique, mechanics, tactics, strategies and training for each student matters...Read more
more articles